Part 2 History, Manners, and Customs of the North American Indians

Part 2

_Austin._ Why I would climb a tree, as Cannon did.

_Hunter._ Most of the furs that are taken find their way to London; but every year the animals which produce them become fewer. Besides the skins of larger animals, the furs of a great number of smaller creatures are valuable; and these, varying in their habits, require to be taken in a different manner. The bison is found on the prairies, or plains; the beaver, on creeks and rivers; the badger, the fox, and the rabbit, burrow in the ground; and the bear, the deer, the mink, the martin, the racc.o.o.n, the lynx, the hare, the musk-rat, the squirrel, and ermine, are all to be found in the woods. In paddling up the rivers in canoes, and in roaming through the woods and prairies, in search of these animals, I have mingled much with Indians of different tribes; and if you can, now and then, make a call on me, you will perhaps be entertained in hearing what I can tell you about them.

The Indians should be regarded by us as brothers. We ought to feel interested in their welfare here, and in their happiness hereafter.

The fact that we are living on lands once the residence of these roaming tribes, and that they have been driven far into the wilderness to make room for us, should lead us not only to feel sympathy for the poor Indians, but to make decided efforts for their improvement. Our missionary societies are aiming at this great object, but far greater efforts are necessary. We have the word of G.o.d, and Christian Sabbaths, and Christian ministers, and religious ordinances, in abundance, to direct and comfort us; but they are but scantily supplied with these advantages. Let us not forget to ask in our prayers, that the Father of mercies may make known his mercy to them, opening their eyes, and influencing their hearts, so that they may become true servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The delight visible in the sparkling eyes of the young people, as they took their leave, spoke their thanks. On their way home, they talked of nothing else but fur companies, lakes, rivers, prairies, and rocky mountains; buffaloes, wolves, bears, and beavers; and it was quite as much as Brian and Basil could do, to persuade their brother Austin from making up his mind at once to be a voyageur, a coureur des bois, or a trapper. The more they were against it, so much the more his heart seemed set upon the enterprise; and the wilder they made the buffaloes that would attack him, and the bears and wolves that would tear him to pieces, the bolder and more courageous he became. However, though on this point they could not agree, they were all unanimous in their determination to make another visit the first opportunity.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Indian Cloak.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Chiefs of different Tribes.]

CHAPTER III.

The next time the three brothers did not go to the red sand-stone rock, but the adventure which took place there formed a part of their conversation. They found the hunter at home, and, feeling now on very friendly and familiar terms with him, they entered at once on the subject that was nearest their hearts. "Tell us, if you please," said Austin, as soon as they were seated, "about the very beginning of the red men."

"You are asking me to do that," replied the hunter, "which is much more difficult than you suppose. To account for the existence of the original inhabitants, and of the various tribes of Indians which are now scattered throughout the whole of North America, has puzzled the heads of the wisest men for ages; and, even at the present day, though travellers have endeavoured to throw light on this subject, it still remains a mystery."

_Austin._ But what is it that is so mysterious? What is it that wise men and travellers cannot make out?

_Hunter._ They cannot make out how it is, that the whole of America--taking in, as it does, some parts which are almost always covered with snow, and other parts that are as hot as the sun can make them--should be peopled with a cla.s.s of human beings distinct from all others in the world--red men, who have black hair, and no beards. If you remember, it is said, in the first chapter of Genesis, "So G.o.d created man in his own image, in the image of G.o.d created he him; male and female created he them." And, in the second chapter, "And the Lord G.o.d planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Now, it is known, by the names of the rivers which are mentioned in the chapter, that the garden of Eden was in Asia; so that you see our first parents, whence the whole of mankind have sprung, dwelt in Asia.

_Austin._ Yes, that is quite plain.

_Hunter._ Well, then, you recollect, I dare say, that when the world was drowned, all mankind were destroyed, except Noah and his family in the ark.

_Brian._ Yes; we recollect that very well.

_Hunter._ And when the ark rested, it rested on Mount Ararat, which is in Asia also. If you look on the map of the world, you will see that the three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa, are united together; but America stands by itself, with an ocean rolling on each side of it, thousands of miles broad. It is easy to suppose that mankind would spread over the continents that are close together, but difficult to account for their pa.s.sing over the ocean, at a time when the arts of ship-building and navigation were so little understood.

_Austin._ They must have gone in a ship, that is certain.

_Hunter._ But suppose they did, how came it about that they should be so very different from all other men? America was only discovered about four hundred years ago, and then it was well peopled with red men. Besides, there have been discovered throughout our country, monuments, ruins, and sites of ancient towns, with thousands of enclosures and fortifications. Articles, too, of pottery, sculpture, gla.s.s, and copper, have been found at times, sixty or eighty feet under the ground, and, in some instances, with forests growing over them, so that they must have been very ancient. The people who built these fortifications and towers, and possessed these articles in pottery, sculpture, gla.s.s, and copper, lived at a remote period, and must have been, to a considerable degree, cultivated. Who these people were, and how they came to America, no one knows, though many have expressed their opinions. But, even if we did know who they were, how could we account for the present race of Indians in North America being barbarous, when their ancestors were so highly civilized? These are difficulties which, as I said, have puzzled the wisest heads for ages.

_Austin._ What do wise men and travellers say about these things?

_Hunter._ Some think, that as the frozen regions of Asia, in one part, are so near the frozen regions of North America--it being only about forty miles across Behring's Straits--some persons from Asia might have crossed over there, and peopled the country; or that North America might have once been joined to Asia, though it is not so now; or that, in ancient times, some persons might have drifted, or been blown there by accident, in boats or ships, across the wide ocean.

Some think these people might have been Phenicians, Carthagenians, Hebrews, or Egyptians; while another cla.s.s of reasoners suppose them to have been Hindoos, Chinese, Tartars, Malays, or others. It seems, however, to be G.o.d's will often to humble the pride of his creatures, by baffling their conjectures, and hedging up their opinions with difficulties. His way is in the sea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known. He "maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof."

_Austin._ Well, if you cannot tell us of the Indians in former times, you can tell us of the Indians that there are, for that will be a great deal better.

_Brian._ Yes, that it will.

_Hunter._ You must bear in mind, that some years have pa.s.sed since I was hunting and trapping in the woods and prairies, and that many changes have taken place since then among the Indians. Some have been tomahawked by the hands of the stronger tribes; some have given up their lands to the whites, and retired to the west of the Mississippi; and thousands have been carried off by disease, which has made sad havoc among them. I must, therefore, speak of them as they were. Some of the tribes, since I left them, have been utterly destroyed; not one living creature among them being left to speak of those who have gone before them.

_Austin._ What a pity! They want some good doctors among them, and then diseases would not carry them off in that way.

_Hunter._ I will not pretend to give you an exact account of the number of the different tribes, or the particular places they now occupy; for though my information may be generally right, yet the changes which have taken place are many.

_Austin._ Please to tell us what you remember, and what you know; and that will quite satisfy us.

_Hunter._ A traveller[1] among the Indian tribes has published a book called "Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians;" and a most interesting and entertaining account it is. If ever you can lay hold of it, it will afford you great amus.e.m.e.nt. Perhaps no man who has written on the Indians has seen so much of them as he has.

[Footnote 1: Mr. Catlin]

_Brian._ Did you ever meet Catlin?

_Hunter._ O yes, many times; and a most agreeable companion I found him. He has lectured in most of our cities, and shown the beautiful collection of Indian dresses and curiosities collected during his visits to the remotest tribes. If you can get a sight of his book, you will soon see that he is a man of much knowledge, and possessing great courage, energy, and perseverance. I will now, then, begin my narrative; and if you can find pleasure in hearing a description of the Indians, with their villages, wigwams, war-whoops, and warriors; their manners, customs, and superst.i.tions; their dress, ornaments, and arms; their mysteries, games, huntings, dances, war-councils, speeches, battles, and burials; with a fair sprinkling of prairie dogs, and wild horses; wolves, beavers, grizzly bears, and mad buffaloes; I will do my best to give you gratification.

_Austin._ These are the very things that we want to know.

_Hunter._ I shall not forget to tell you what the missionaries have done among the Indians; but that must be towards the latter end of my account. Let me first show you a complete table of the number and names of the tribes. It is in the Report made to Congress by the Commissioners of Indian Affairs for 1843-4.

_Statement showing the number of each tribe of Indians, whether natives of, or emigrants to, the country west of the Mississippi, with items of emigration and subsistence._

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Names of

Number

Present

Number

Daily

tribes.

of each

removed

western

remain-

removed

of each

expense

tribe

of each

popula-

ing east

since

now

of sub-

indigenous

tribe

tion of

of each

date of

under

sisting

to the

wholly or

each

tribe.

last

subsi-

them.

country

partially

tribe

annual

stence

west of

removed.

wholly or

report.

west.

the Missi-

partially

ssippi.

removed.

----------+----------+---------+---------+--------+-------+-------+-------

Chippewas,

Ottowas,

and Potta-

watomies,

and Potta-

watomies

of Indiana

5,779

2,298

92[a]

Creeks

24,594

744

Choctaws

15,177

3,323

Minatarees

2,000

Florida

Indians

3,824

212

$7 68

Pagans

30,000

Cherokees

25,911

1,000

a.s.sina-

boins

7,000

Swan Creek

and Black

River

Chippewas

113

Appachees

20,280

Crees

800

Ottowas

and Chip-

pewas, to-

gether

with Chip-

pewas of

Michigan

7,055

Arrapahas

2,500

New York

Indians

3,293

Gros

Ventres

3,300

Chickasaws

4,930

80[b]

288[c]

198[d]

9 40

Eutaws

19,200

Stock-

bridges

and Mun-

sees, and

Delawares

and

Munsees

180

278

320

Sioux

25,000

Quapaws

476

Iowas

470

Kickapoos

588

505

Sacs and

Foxes of

Missis-

sippi

2,348[e]

Delawares

826

1,059

Shawnees

1,272

887

Sacs of

Missouri

414[e]

Weas

225

176

Osages

4,102

Pianke-

shaws

162

Kanzas

1,588

Peorias

and

Kaskaskias

132

150

Omahas

1,600

Senecas

from

Sandusky

251

Otoes and

Missourias

931

Senecas

and

Shawnees

211

p.a.w.nees

12,500

Winneba-

goes

4,500

2,183

Camanches

19,200

Kiowas

1,800

Mandans

300

Crows

4,000

Wyandots

of Ohio

664

50[g]

664

Poncas

800

Miamies

661

Arickarees

1,200

Menomonies

2,464

Cheyenes

2,000

Chippewas

of the

Lakes

2,564

Blackfeet

1,300

Caddoes

2,000

Snakes

1,000

Flatheads

800

Oneidas

of Green

Bay

675

Stock-

bridges of

Green Bay

207

Wyandots

Michigan

Pottawato-

mies of

Huron

100

+----------+----------+---------+---------+--------+-------+-------+-------+

168,909

89,288

83,594

22,846

1,164

410

17 09

+----------+----------+---------+---------+--------+-------+-------+-------+

NOTES.

[Footnote a: These 92 are Ottowas of Maumee.]

[Footnote b: This, as far as appears from any data in the office; but, in point of fact, there are most probably no, or very few, Chickasaws remaining east.]

[Footnote c: In this number is included a party, a.s.sumed to be 100, who clandestinely removed themselves; but they are withheld from the next column, because, it is not yet known what arrangement has been made for their subsistence, though instructions on that subject have been addressed to the Choctaw agent.]

[Footnote d: Ten of these emigrated as far back as January, 1842; but, as the number was so small, the arrangements for their subsistence were postponed until they could be included in some larger party, such as that which subsequently arrived.]

[Footnote e: These Indians do not properly belong to this column, but are so disposed of because the table is without an exactly appropriate place for them. Originally, their haunts extended east of the river, and some of their possessions on this side are among the cessions by our Indians to the Government, but their tribes have ever since been gradually moving westward.]

[Footnote g: This number is conjectural, but cannot be far from the truth, as Mr. McElvaine, the sub-agent, states that but 8 or 10 families still remain.]

_Hunter._ And now, place before you a map of North America. See how it stretches out north and south from Baffin's Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, and east and west from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. What a wonderful work of the Almighty is the rolling deep! "The sea is His, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land." Here are the great Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario; and here run the mighty rivers, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio, and the St.

Lawrence: the Mississippi itself is between three and four thousand miles long.

_Basil._ What a river! Please to tell us what are all those little hills running along there, one above another, from top to bottom.

_Hunter._ They are the Rocky Mountains. Some regard them as a continuation of the Andes of South America; so that, if both are put together, they will make a chain of mountains little short of nine thousand miles long. North America, with its mighty lakes, rivers, and mountains, its extended valleys and prairies, its bluffs, caverns, and cataracts, and, more than all, its Indian inhabitants, beavers, buffaloes, and bisons, will afford us something to talk of for some time to come; but the moment you are tired of my account, we will stop.

_Austin._ We shall never be tired; no, not if you go on telling us something every time we come, for a whole year. But do tell us, how did these tribes behave to you, when you were among them?

_Hunter._ I have not a word of complaint to make. The Indians have been represented as treacherous, dishonest, reserved, and sour in their disposition; but, instead of this, I have found them generally, though not in all cases, frank, upright, hospitable, light-hearted, and friendly. Those who have seen Indians smarting under wrongs, and deprived, by deceit and force, of their lands, hunting-grounds, and the graves of their fathers, may have found them otherwise: and no wonder; the worm that is trodden on will writhe; and man, unrestrained by Divine grace, when treated with injustice and cruelty, will turn on his oppressor.

_Austin._ Say what you will, I like the Indians.

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